Desk configuration having stationery organizer

ABSTRACT

A desk configuration has a stationery organizer which is pivotally mounted beneath a work surface portion of the desk configuration in a storage position, the organizer being substantially recessed from the vertical plane of the front edge of the work surface in this position. The stationery organizer is pivotal about a vertical axis between this storage position and a usage position in which the organizer extends beyond the front edge vertical plane.

United States Patent Woods 1 March 6, 1973 [541 DESK CONFIGURATIONHAVING 3,031,246 4/1962 Hird 312 197 STATIONERY ORGANIZER 3,063,77511/1962 Snowman ..3l2/329 3,389,944 6 1968 H h ..312 107 X [75]inventor: David Woods, Quakertown, Pa. rey

[73] Assignee: J. G. Furniture Company, Inc., New Primary ExaminerPaulR, Gilliam York, N.Y. Attorney-Hubbell, Cohen & Stiefel [22] Filed: May17, 1971 ABSTRACT 21 A l. N 143,871 i 1 pp 0 A desk configuration has astationery organizer which is pivotally mounted beneath a work surfaceportion U-S- of the desk configuration in a torage position the or- 1A4719 19/00 A4713 88/00 ganizer being substantially recessed from thevertical [58] Field of Search ..3l2/195, 197, 133, 328, 329 plane f thefrom edge f h k Surface in this position. The stationery organizer ispivotal about a [56] References cued vertical axis between this storageposition and a usage UNITED STATES PATENTS position in which theorganizer extends beyond the front edge vertical plane. 496,057 4/1893Hubbell ..3l2/197 X 2,710,242 6/1955 Chase ..312/197 X 4 Claims, 3Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR ems 3,719,407

INVENTOR DAVID WOODS M M M ATTORNEYS.

DESK CONFIGURATION HAVING STATIONERY ORGANIZER BACKGROUND OFINVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates todesk configurations having a stationery organizer operatively connectedtherein.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of stationery organizers inprior art desk configurations is well known. Such stationery organizersprovide a compartmentalized area in which a secretary or other user ofthe desk can organize a variety of types of stationery to be utilized inperforming normal secretarial functions in an office, such as stationeryto be used for original copies of letters, stationery to be used fortissue copies of letters, stationery to be used for carbon copies ofletters, and envelopes for the letters. These stationery organizers arenormally mounted in such prior art desk configurations beneath the worksurface portion of the desk, such as the return portion thereof, so asto be substantially flush with the vertical plane of the front edge ofthe desk. In this manner the secretary can have ready access to thestationery organizer. However, such a stationery organizer compartmentoccupies valuable knee space so that the knee space beneath the worksurface portion under which the stationery organizer is mounted isconsiderably reduced, thus making inefficient use of the desk. Since thestationery organizer is not continually utilized by the secretary oruser of the desk, the sacrifree of additional leg room is not justifiedand is disadvantageous as well as inefficient. In an attempt to overcomethis disadvantage of the prior art, in offices where the desk space islimited and the amount of leg room, therefore, critical, offices haveutilized desks without stationery organizers mounted therein and haveinstead utilized separate independent organizers which may be placed onthe desk work surface. However, this sacrifices desk work space foradditional leg room and is also disadvantageous and inefficient.

These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A desk configuration includes a stationeryorganizer pivotally mounted beneath a work surface portion of the deskconfiguration. The stationery organizer is pivotal about a vertical axiswith respect to the horizontal plane of the work surface portion betweena storage position and a usage position. In the storage position, thestationery organizer is substantially recessed from the vertical planeof the front edge of the substantially horizontal planar work surfaceportion, whereas, in the usage position, the stationery organizer has atleast a portion thereof which extends substantially beyond the frontedge vertical plane. The stationery organizer includes a substantiallyhorizontal shelf configuration. The stationery organizer is recessed inthe storage position a sufficient amount so as to provide additional legroom beneath the desk work surface portion. Furthermore, the stationeryorganizer is preferably wider than it is deep in the storage position soas to provide additional reach when it is pivoted to the usage positionwhile maximizing the additional leg room beneath the desk work surfaceportion in the storage position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a deskconfiguration having a pivotally mounted stationery organizer therein inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 taken alongline 3-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to theFIGS. in detail, especially to FIG. 1 thereof, a perspective view of adesk configuration 10 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. For purposes of illustration, the deskconfiguration 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a main desk 12 and a return 14The desk 12 and return 14 may be any desk-return combination such as iscommercially available from J. G. Furniture Company Inc. under thetrademark REVEAL DESK. Return 14 and desk 12 are operatively connectedtogether in a conventional manner so as to form the L- shaped" deskconfiguration 10.

Both the main desk portion 12 and the return portion 14 preferablyinclude planar work surfaces 16 and 18, respectively, which are in thesame plane so as to form a substantially continuous L-shaped worksurface,

although if desired surfaces 16 and 18 may be a different height orlevel in parallel planes. Preferably, work surfaces 16 and 18 aresupported in a horizontal position with respect to the floor or surfaceupon which the desk configuration 10 normally stands when in use bymeans of upstanding end portions 20 and 22, respectively, which arepreferably located at the extremity of the L-shaped desk configurationl0, and upstanding front portions 24 and 26, respectively. End portions20 and 22 and front portions 24 and 26 are connected together in aconventional fashion so as to be substantially perpendicular thereto inorder to form the conventional L-shaped desk configuration 10. Ofcourse, conventional legs could be substituted for end portions 20 and22 without departing from the invention. A

As shown and preferred in'FIG. l, a stationery organizer, generallyreferred to by the reference numeral 28 is pivotally mounted beneath thework surface portion 18 of the return 14, such pivotal mounting beingmore clearly shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, the stationery organizer 28comprises an upstanding side wall portion 30 and a shelf configuration32 preferably formed of a free standing metal arranged in an opengrid-like configuration. As shown and preferred, the shelf configuration32 includes a plurality of substantially parallel shelves 34 which arearranged in a step-like fashion between a pair of upstanding sideportions 36 and 38, respectively, to form the free standing shelfconfiguration 32. As also shown and preferred, the smallest shelf is atthe top of the shelf configuration 32 and the largest shelf is at thebottom of the shelf configuration 32. Preferably, upstanding sideportion 36 of the shelf configuration 32 is fixedly mounted to the sidewall portion 30 so that the shelves 34 are substantially horizontal withrespect to the floor or surface upon which the desk configuration l0normally stands when in use.

Preferably, side wall portion 30 is pivotally mounted to the inside wallof upstanding end portion 22 in a conventional manner, such as by ahinge or arod 40. The rod or hinge 40 has a vertical axis 42 about whichthe stationery organizer 28 pivots, vertical axis 42 preferably beingnormal to the horizontal plane of the work surface 18.

As shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 2, the stationery organizer 28 ispivotally mounted in a storage position which is preferablysubstantially recessed from the vertical plane of the front edge 42 ofthe work surface 18 so as to provide additional leg room between theside wall portion 30 of the organizer 28 and the vertical plane of thefront edge 42 in this storage position. In addition, as shown andpreferred in FIG. 2, the stationery organizer 28 is pivotal through anangle of ap proximately 90, to a usage position so as to have a portionwhich extends beyond the vertical plane of the front edge 42 of the worksurface 18. Preferably, as also shown and preferred in FIG. 2, thestationery organizer 28 is wider rather than deep in the storageposition, which position is shown completely in dotted lines. Althoughnot shown for purposes of clarity, spring detent locks preferably retainthe stationery organizer 28 in both the storage position and the usageposition until a sufficient unlocking force is exerted on the organizer28 by the user.

For purposes of explanation it is assumed that the stationery organizer28 is initially in the storage position wherein the organizer 28 ispreferably substantially flush with the rear wall 26 of the return 14 soas to provide additional leg room for the secretary between theupstanding side wall portion 30 of the organizer 28 and the verticalplane of the front edge 42 of the work surface portion 18 of the return14. When it is desired to use the stationery organizer 28, the secretarypivots it about vertical axis 42 with sufficient force so as to releasethe spring detent lock mechanism associated with the storage positionand pivots the organizer 28 through an angle of 90 out into the usageposition shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. When the secretary is through usingthe organizer 28 she then pivots it in the opposite direction aboutvertical axis 42 with a sufficient force so as to release the springdetent lock mechanism associated with the usage position and return itback into the storage position.

It will become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thata multiplicity of desk configurations other than the one describedherein by way of example, may be utilized without departing from thescope of the invention, such as one having no return, so long as such aconfiguration includes a stationery organizer pivotally mounted beneatha work surface portion of the desk configuration so as to besubstantially recessed from the vertical plane of the front edge of thework surface portion in a storage position.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiment of theinvention is merely illustrative of the principles thereof and thatnumerous modifications and 5 embodiments of the invention may be derivedwithin the spirit and scope thereof such as by utilizing a differenttype of stationery organizer other than a free standing shelfconfiguration.

What is claimed is:

1 A desk configuration com rising a substantially orizontal p anar worksurface portion having a front edge located in a vertical planesubstantially normal to the horizontal plane of said work surfaceportion;

a stationery organizer means comprising a vertically tiered plurality ofsubstantially horizontally extending shelves, said organizer having asupporting portion and an access portion disposed substantially normalto said supporting portion, said shelves being accessible through saidaccess portion for retrievably storing stationery on said shelves, saidshelves comprising a free standing configuration secured to saidsupporting portion at only one side of said configuration, saidstationery organizer being movable between a storage position and ausage position; and

means adjacent one end of said supporting portion for pivotally mountingsaid stationery organizer supporting portion end beneath said worksurface portion substantially at a useable end thereof so that saidstationery organizer is freely pivotable beneath said work surfaceportion about a vertical axis between said storage position and saidusage position, said supporting portion and said shelf configurationpivoting as a unit, said stationery organizer being pivotally mounted insaid storage position beneath said work surface portion with saidsupporting portion substantially parallel to room between saidsupporting portion and said front edge vertical plane in said storageposition.

2. A desk configuration in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidstationery organizer has at least a portion thereof extendingsubstantially beyond said front edge vertical plane in said usageposition.

3. A desk configuration in accordance with claim 1 wherein in saidstorage position said organizer is wider than it is deep in a planeparallel to said horizontal 5o plane with respect to said front edgevertical plane.

4. A desk configuration in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidsupporting portion comprises a side wall portion, said side wall portionbeing the organizer portion closest to said front edge in said storageposition.

1. A desk configuration comprising a substantially horizontal planarwork surface portion having a front edge located in a vertical planesubstantially normal to the horizontal plane of said work surfaceportion; a stationery organizer means comprising a vertically tieredplurality of substantially horizontally extending shelves, saidorganizer having a supporting portion and an access portion disposedsubstantially normal to said supporting portion, said shelves beingaccessible through said access portion for retrievably storingstationery on said shelves, said shelves comprising a free standingconfiguration secured to said supporting portion at only one side ofsaid configuration, said stationery organizer being movable between astorage position and a usage position; and means adjacent one end ofsaid supporting portion for pivotally mounting said stationery organizersupporting portion end beneath said work surface portion substantiallyat a useable end thereof so that said stationery organizer is freelypivotable beneath said work surface portion about a vertical axisbetween said storage position and said usage pOsition, said supportingportion and said shelf configuration pivoting as a unit, said stationeryorganizer being pivotally mounted in said storage position beneath saidwork surface portion with said supporting portion substantially parallelto said front edge vertical plane and substantially recessed therefromso as to provide useable leg room between said supporting portion andsaid front edge vertical plane in said storage position.
 1. A deskconfiguration comprising a substantially horizontal planar work surfaceportion having a front edge located in a vertical plane substantiallynormal to the horizontal plane of said work surface portion; astationery organizer means comprising a vertically tiered plurality ofsubstantially horizontally extending shelves, said organizer having asupporting portion and an access portion disposed substantially normalto said supporting portion, said shelves being accessible through saidaccess portion for retrievably storing stationery on said shelves, saidshelves comprising a free standing configuration secured to saidsupporting portion at only one side of said configuration, saidstationery organizer being movable between a storage position and ausage position; and means adjacent one end of said supporting portionfor pivotally mounting said stationery organizer supporting portion endbeneath said work surface portion substantially at a useable end thereofso that said stationery organizer is freely pivotable beneath said worksurface portion about a vertical axis between said storage position andsaid usage pOsition, said supporting portion and said shelfconfiguration pivoting as a unit, said stationery organizer beingpivotally mounted in said storage position beneath said work surfaceportion with said supporting portion substantially parallel to saidfront edge vertical plane and substantially recessed therefrom so as toprovide useable leg room between said supporting portion and said frontedge vertical plane in said storage position.
 2. A desk configuration inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said stationery organizer has at least aportion thereof extending substantially beyond said front edge verticalplane in said usage position.
 3. A desk configuration in accordance withclaim 1 wherein in said storage position said organizer is wider than itis deep in a plane parallel to said horizontal plane with respect tosaid front edge vertical plane.